My 5 year old daughter refuses to take her anti-biotic orally. We've tried everything from taking away priviliges to holding her down (which we probably won't do anyway). Is there an injection that can be given so we can forego all this crap?! We've tried all the easy ways of taking it orally --candy, something good to wash it down with, gum afterwards, etc...

Any help would be great, thanks!

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01-15-2004, 05:49 PM

#2

TerryB

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(female)

Join Date: Oct 2003

Location: NY, USA

Posts: 376

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

Unfortunately we are experts. My 4 yr old has rheumatoid arthritis and has taken some nasty stuffy daily. We've mixed her meds successfully with molasses, grape jelly, orange juice. Sometimes just apple sauce or ice cream works if it doesn't taste too stronge. I know other parents that have used chocolate or strawberry sauce. You need to find out from the pharmacist if the particular med can be mixed with food. I personally tasted all these concoctions in from of my daughter to show her that it taste OK before expecting her to eat it. Sometimes I would add a little more of the jelly (or whatever) until it was acceptable to me before trying to get her to try it. Eventually all this sweetener affect added up to a lot of calories so we taught her how to swallow pills right around her 4th birthday. I have a way to make this be successful also so let me know if you decide to try getting her to swallow pills. Since you probably aren't on meds constantly like us, you probably don't have to worry about calories.

Good Luck,
TerryB

01-15-2004, 07:41 PM

#3

PinkBanana

Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2003

Posts: 172

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by huh?

My 5 year old daughter refuses to take her anti-biotic orally. We've tried everything from taking away priviliges to holding her down (which we probably won't do anyway). Is there an injection that can be given so we can forego all this crap?! We've tried all the easy ways of taking it orally --candy, something good to wash it down with, gum afterwards, etc...

Any help would be great, thanks!

There is a shot but I HIGHLY advise against it.
It is probably THE MOST PAINFUL shot you can take.
I had it before, and I passed out cold right after. It's injected into your lower like back on your side..you have 2 bend over something, and when I had it, I just fell forward and was out. It's horrible. And I had one of the milder doses, b/c they weren't sure my body could take any stronger.

01-15-2004, 08:43 PM

#4

huh?

Junior Member

Join Date: Jan 2004

Posts: 31

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by PinkBanana

There is a shot but I HIGHLY advise against it.
It is probably THE MOST PAINFUL shot you can take.
I had it before, and I passed out cold right after. It's injected into your lower like back on your side..you have 2 bend over something, and when I had it, I just fell forward and was out. It's horrible. And I had one of the milder doses, b/c they weren't sure my body could take any stronger.

Oh my!!! I really don't know what to do about this. Thankfully, it's not anything horrible. When she was 4 months old she had heart surgery. When we brought her home from the hospital I was supposed to be giving her advil for fever and even at 4 months old she was spitting the stuff out. Some things start early and don't change!!!

01-15-2004, 09:03 PM

#5

Angel77

Senior Veteran

(female)

Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: Utah

Posts: 896

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

I have had the pennacillan shot and although not on my top ten favorite list, wasn't that bad. My son was the exact same as your daughter and if I did manage to get some down him he would get so mad he'd make himself gag and throw up!!! OOOOHHHHH talk about frustration.
The funniest thing that turned it around was when he was about 4 and had an awful fever and body aches from the flu. He was too sick to fight me and finally understood that the medication is what made the "yukkies" go away, he quit fighting.
She may also be old enough to teach her how to swallow small pills. We did this with my son by using something thicker and flavored like chocolate milk. He would take a sip, hold it in his mouth, drop the pill in and shake his head before he swallowed. This made it impossible for him to feel the pill so he didn't stop it with his tongue.
I don't envy you a bit....this stage of life stunk!! My youngest will take it but has an over-reactive gag reflex and if he's been coughing a lot and I give him something that tastes bad, he'll do what big bro did. I just hang him over the sink and then re-dose. He usually only throws it up once. The problem is, I shouldn't have to know that!! LOL Good luck, you're going to need it.

01-15-2004, 09:21 PM

#6

rileyroe

Senior Member

(female)

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: KANSAS

Posts: 185

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

i have the doctor prescribe pills for my 5 year old, i put them in applesauce and she swallows them right down. If they are bigger pills, I cut them in half. We practiced with alot of tic tacs before we did the actual pill. Give it a try.....it has been a great thing for us!!!

01-15-2004, 09:47 PM

#7

moMMmoZZA

Junior Member

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: CANADA

Posts: 10

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

Here are a few suggestions:
Orally: Wrap the pill in a Marshmallow (mini), give to child with a few other marshmallows.
....can also try using (wrap) fruit rollups,
....in a spoon full of pudding

Unfortunately I didn't think of these things with my oldest child.

At that time we resorted to the anal medicine. This worked well, but you had to lubricate the anal hole very well, touch once so it dispells the tightening reaction, then follow through by putting in the medicine.

Good Luck...spent many an hour coaxing...etc. Forcing anything down usually results in them peuking it back up.

01-16-2004, 08:37 AM

#8

luvmyboys

Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: Illinois

Posts: 268

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

Unfortunately, we had to hold both of our kids down. It would sometimes take 3 people to give medicine. I found for liquid medicine, one or two drops at a time in the side of his mouth by his cheek worked the best. It sometimes took a while to give the whole dose. The doctor said the side of the mouth is better because it doesn't go over the taste buds on the tongue this way. If you use a small amount at a time the less upset they get over the taste and the less likely they are to throw it up.

They are now 5 and 8 and can swallow pills. I tought them with food first though because with a liquid it just floated around in their mouth. We used goldfish and pudding. I told them to chew the food first and right before they swallow to put the pill in and then swallow. It worked the first time with both of them. They can now use any kind of food to take a pill and sometimes depending on the size of the pill only water.

01-16-2004, 09:04 AM

#9

HeyThere

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Join Date: Apr 2003

Posts: 476

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

I asked another pediatrician about the same issue 2 years ago. I asked her what she would do (she told me she has 3 kids young like mine 2-6 she has been through it all) she said would choose the shot only as a last resort it is hard on the liver. She gave me directions like a previous poster when it is liquid use the side of mouth via a dropper, it worked. Good luck. there is alway the spoonfull of sugar chaser if that doesn't work- I had never tried it though.

01-16-2004, 11:54 AM

#10

HeatherW

Senior Member

Join Date: Oct 2003

Posts: 183

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

My daughter has severe hypertention and has been on between four and six different medications since she was 18 months old. Initally we put the meds in and mixed them up in a chocolate milk bottle. No she has begun to swollow the pills and the liquid has not been a problem for a while now. In the beginning It was a game of wills though. She would spit the meds in my face at first. The nurses at St Judes would tell me that that was the one thing that I had to get across to her first was that I was the boss and that taking her meds was not an option. We finally succeded by making her take them over and over until she kept enough down. She finally learned that I would hold her down, headlock, or trick her into taking them and she finally gave up. PS the nurses helped so its not child abuse if she will die if she won't do it. Good luck. Heather W.

01-16-2004, 07:25 PM

#11

rubindj

Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2003

Posts: 204

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

You didn't say what your child was suffering from, but unless its strep throat (most common) there is no approved shot. The reason for this is that the only long acting injectible antibiotic is a variation of Pennicillin.

To treat any non Pennicillin susectable disease by injection requres either an IV, or going back to the doctor ever 4-12 hours for another injection. Many times a doctor will use a shot to get a quick boost in, and then perscribe oral antibiotics.

Regardless, it is very important that your daughter follow the perscribed course of treatment, or another one perscribed by your doctor, as many bacterial infections will come back -- and with resistance to antibotics, if the full course of treatment isn't followed.

01-19-2004, 05:38 PM

#12

lilsunshine46

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(female)

Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: Centreville Va USA

Posts: 408

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

This caught my eye, I haven't read all the other replies but have you tried getting your child to hold their nose while they drink it? If they can't smell it they can't taste it . It works great for my 3 children in the past.
Good luck

01-19-2004, 09:01 PM

#13

Carmaanne

Member

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Wisconsin

Posts: 85

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

Your ped might have some suggestions on how to get your child to take the medication. Our ped knows which ones are the tastiest too, so maybe you can get one of those! There is a shot available but that is only given usually as a last resort when the oral's aren't working at all.
Good luck

Carmaanne
You can also ask the pharmacist too.

10-26-2005, 05:26 PM

#14

prpyllhaze1

Newbie

(female)

Join Date: Nov 2004

Posts: 7

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

my daughter is five and the same way, she has only successfully taken antibiotics when ive mixed it with some strong chocolate milk and put it in a sippy cup. any thing else like juice, ect wasn't good enough to diguise the medicine taste. just make sure that use use a small amount of whatever you mix with so that she finishes it all.

10-27-2005, 04:54 PM

#15

whiteluluflower

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(female)

Join Date: Dec 2002

Posts: 309

Re: 5 year old refuses oral antibiotics-is there a shot?

If they can't smell it they can't taste it . It works great for my 3 children in the past.

lol, i was still able to taste it.. ugh, i hated taking pills/liquid med.. still dont like the liquid med.. tastes SOOOOOOOO gross. lol

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